His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa deputised today Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King and President of the National Initiative for Agricultural Development Consultative Board, to inaugurate Bahrain International Garden Show (BIGS) 2015 and the 50th Flower and Vegetable Exhibition which kicked off at Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre and will continue till March 1.
HRH Princess Sabeeka praised the exhibition's advanced level thanks to the care and support accorded by HM the King to the agricultural sector in Bahrain. She described the show as a natural extension of development of farming in Bahrain since the fifties of last century. She paid tribute to Late Bahraini ruler His Highness Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa for his role in this respect.
HRH Princess Sabeeka lauded the efforts of the Transportation and Telecommunications Ministry in issuing a book containing stamps documenting the history of the show since its inception. She said the exhibition reflects Bahrain's pioneering regional status as a major host of international exhibitions and conferences. She also praised the show's motto "Agricultural Training for Sustainable Harvest" due to the importance of training in grooming qualified national cadres for the agricultural field and explore modern ways to improve the quality of production.
HRH Princess Sabeeka toured the exhibition and got informed about the different agricultural products, the pavilions of the public and private sectors, developed gardens and innovated shows in landscaping and design.
In addition to local participation, the event features exhibitors from around the world including Italy, the Netherlands, France, Greece, Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Cameroon, Uganda, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Yemen and Sudan.
Training opportunities by educational establishments and the non-government organisations (NGOs) in Bahrain as well as competent regional institutions will be highlighted through the National Initiative for Agricultural Development's pavilion.